—— Chapter 2 ——

  The weight of glass and hollow truths

  < It didn't look that bad, but we should still take proper care of it. Our Lady is still sick after all. >

  It seemed the woman had returned again as she had said she would. She was way faster than I had assumed.

  My eyes shot toward the entrance of the room as soon as I heard the two approaching. Their steps seemed like they were quite hurried to get here.

  Alongside the maid from before was now a tall man, dressed in a brown leather tunic and black trousers. In comparison to her, he looked many years older, like he had already worked a long time in this place.

  He bowed slightly when he saw me.

  < Right there at her left leg, it seems she must've hurt herself when she tried standing up. >

  The maid looked genuinely concerned while the man didn‘t seem worried at all.

  ?At least somebody here seems to have common sense. Don't they see I'm fine?“ I was quite annoyed by the commotion they were making, even though I wasn‘t in the position to show it.

  < I see - my Lady, I will take care of it, don't worry. Please excuse me if it hurts a bit. >

  As he said that, he immediately got to work and wrapped a small bandage around my leg. Totally too much for a mere scratch.

  ?I really am the only sane person here.“ I rolled my eyes.

  After the doctor had finished, he additionally checked my temperature as well.

  < You seem to be getting better, Lady Marilys but I would still advise you to stay in bed for today and eat enough. I‘m sure your fever will be gone shortly. >

  I acknowledged his advice and thanked him for looking after me. After the maid also expressed how grateful she was for his duty, he finally bowed and left us two alone.

  She really seemed to be relieved.

  My gaze shifted to the tray she had brought when coming here earlier - not only was it filled with many different dishes but they also seemed to be of high quality. How much must that meal have cost?

  ?Well, I guess she at least deserves some credit for that. It really looks like she put a lot of effort into it.“

  I smiled at her warmly.

  < Thank you for bringing me food. It looks really delicious, I’ll definitely enjoy it. >

  Her mood seemed to lift at my words. She folded her hands in front of herself and bowed slightly as she smiled.

  < I‘m happy you like it, My Lady. Please call for me if you need anything or if I can be of any assistance to you. I’ll wait in outside the room for now if you unless you have further instructions. >

  ?She seems to pick up on clues fast - if I only knew her name, I could definitely prove my theory wrong.“

  < It would be nice to have a mirror here. If you could bring me one, that would be perfect. >

  At first, I was afraid it might be too much to ask, but she seemed overly excited to have received a task.

  < Of course, I'll be right back my Lady. >

  After that, it only took her a few minutes to come back with a beautifully crafted mirror. Not only was the reflection perfectly clear, but the frame was also made out of gold. It was adorned with many crystals on every side that made it sparkle in the daylight. The carvings on the frame seemed to resemble butterflies whilst the crystals were shaped like flowers.

  Before I even considered looking into it, I swiftly dismissed her and sat upright. No matter what the outcome - she definitely shouldn‘t witness my reaction.

  ?I could never be right, but still - better safe than sorry, right?“

  The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  At this moment, for some reason, I felt my nervousness washing over me. I was well aware that this was just a safety measure to make sure my suspicions couldn't be correct but still, I felt an inner turmoil. I took a deep breath and finally, I looked into the mirror.

  It was a lovely sight. The girl in the mirror had light, flawless skin, just like that of a doll. Her eyes were a bright blue color, reminiscent of the sea or the sky. Combined with her rosy cheeks it further complimented the long hair that was cascading down each side of her face. It was long, blonde hair that seemed to be made out of silk and was soft to the touch.

  If it were under any other circumstances or situation, I would have definitely adored this woman, I mean - how could one not? At this moment though, this sight terrified me down to the bone. It felt like a nightmare.

  I could not comprehend it at first and pressed my fingers against my face.

  ?How could this be? Why is this happening? What is going on?“

  I felt nauseous. I looked exactly like the heroine of the novel I had read last night.

  I held my hand in front of my mouth in order to keep everything in. My hands were trembling. I had never felt this anxious before. Not long after, I could already feel panic surging from my chest.

  ?It just can‘t be, right? Why do I look like Marilys from the novel? What is this?“

  My heart was racing. I hurled the mirror to the other side of my bed. I just couldn't bear to look at this any longer. I was at a loss.

  ?Okay okay, everything is fine you have to calm down. Calm down - calm down.“

  I gave it my best to get myself together again after that. I had never experienced anxiety like that before. I was horrified.

  ———

  It had been a whole day since I had figured out I wasn’t kidnapped, but instead woke up as the heroine of the novel I had read.

  As I sat on my bed, a tray with a paper and feather sat in front of me whilst another tray with food and the mirror lay a bit further away.

  A small sigh escaped my lips. ?Really, how did I end up in a situation like this? Why would, out of all the people, I have to be sent here? My luck.“

  After I had calmed myself down yesterday, I had decided to write down everything I knew about my situation based on what I had read. In the end, this was the only advantage I had here.

  ?So, Marilys was a Lady from one of the noble houses, sent to the capital, and ended up marrying the prince…how did it end again?“

  I rubbed the feather slightly against my temple.

  ?Ugh, this is all for naught - I fell asleep before I could finish! The only thing I remember is that she is supposed to live happily ever after. Who would've even bothered to pay attention to anything else?“

  It was frustrating, really. I only had one job, one book to finish, and I couldn’t even manage that. If only I hadn’t fallen asleep so soon.

  ?Maybe I should just gather the information I have learned from being here. I don‘t have the time to wait for my memories to return anyways. Who knows what will happen if they find out who I am?“

  I, Marilys, am the only child of Duke Virelle, who is the head of one of the eight noble houses of Myssian, the country we live in. I have also learned that the woman from yesterday is called Leah and was assigned as my personal maid a few years ago.

  ?What else?“

  I twisted the feather in my hands while I was lost in thought.

  From what I've experienced so far it seems that I inherited all my current physical abilities from the original Marilys whilst my personality and preferences have stayed the same.

  ?I have perfect sight even though back home I needed glasses since I was a kid. Also I can understand, speak and write in the local language despite the fact that I had never heard of it before.“

  My eyes fell on the tray of food beside me as I laid aside the paper and feather away.

  ?Marilys seemed to have loved those desserts, but I think they‘re way too sweet. We definitely don't share preferences. Furthermore, nowadays I always get nauseous from eating, so I assume she must've had a problem with it.“

  I looked at my waist. This body really was quite frail and skinny, at least that would add up.

  ?Even now, after I‘ve taken her place, she‘s still a handful. Despite the fact that those weren't my issues to begin with, it's not easy to ignore when your body reacts to every bit of food like this. I‘ve of course been trying to overcome it - but even so, I‘ve already had to throw up twice.“

  Frustrated as I was, I pushed the food away and stood up. This body felt light as a feather compared to my own one. I also felt like I was quite a bit smaller than I had been originally. It felt unfamiliar, yet not too bad.

  Since the initial shock of this new situation had worn off, I at least tried to get used to this body and environment as much as I could. Both of those come with their own challenges of course. On one hand I had to get used to a whole nother body and feelings and on the other I had to deal with this new setting. Of course, life in a novel was nothing like that in the modern world but knowing that and actually getting used to it are two completely different things.

  At least, as I expected, the people working in this manor all adored Marilys and took excellent care of her. Her well-being and happiness seemed to be the focus of almost everyone attending her. I assumed this was on one hand due to the fact that she was the only heir to the dukedom, but also because of her charming personality.

  ?How am I even supposed to pull off being her? Can I even be this friendly?“

  I shook my head slightly.

  ?I have no other option anyways. What would they do if they found out I had transmigrated from another world? Would they even believe that? Would they just kill me on the spot? No, it would be way too risky to not play along.“

  Standing in front of the window, I gazed out to see the garden and the vast sea beyond it. It was a sunny day today as well. Besides that there also seemed to be a gentle breeze rustling through the leaves of the blooming trees. I rested my head on my hand as I leaned against the windowsill.

  Interestingly enough, one could even smell the beach from inside this manor. That faint scent of salt as well as that of blooming flowers was present wherever one was standing - truly a perfect place to build a manor.

  ?The opportunity of returning to my original world had also crossed my mind but it would be far too risky to attempt. I didn’t know whether ending my life here would even bring me back in the first place, nor what happened to my original body. Maybe I was already dead there or maybe dying here would just mean the end for me. Who knows? Really not a good option.“

  As I was lost in my thoughts, I heard a knock at the door.

  < My Lady, may I come in? >

  It was Leah, my personal maid. I turned around to face the door and invited her in.

  ?A perfect candidate to practice acting exactly the way the real Marilys would. Let’s pray it’ll go well.“

  This time, her expression was an ominous one again. It was hard to tell what exactly it was, but it didn't just look like her usual smile from before. She bowed swiftly before speaking.

  < Your father, Duke Virelle, had called for you young Lady. After he heard that you had fully recovered from your illness he wanted to see his beloved daughter immediately. >

  ?The Duke? He was barely mentioned in the story but I don't think I know anything about him besides that he sent Marilys to the capital. It might be a good chance to test the waters - besides, I can‘t refuse him anyways.“

  I nodded, still wary of her every movement. Maybe I was just overthinking her behavior?

  < Of course, I will get ready straight away and meet him in his studies afterwards. >

  ?That should be a good answer right?“

  < I'll help my Lady get ready then. >

  Before I could even say anything to her, she was already pulling on my robe and helped me get ready for my first meeting with the Duke of Virelle.